Ransomware Research

Cowa Ransomware

Cowa is a malicious ransomware strain that encrypts victim files and demands ransom payment for decryption. First observed in the wild on July 1, 2025, this ransomware has been actively targeting systems worldwide.

Quick Facts

Ransomware Family
Cowa
First Seen
July 1, 2025

How Cowa Ransomware Works

File Encryption Patterns

Cowa modifies encrypted files using specific patterns to mark them as encrypted:

File extensions added after encryption:

..cowa

Ransom Note and Payment Demands

After encrypting files, Cowa displays ransom notes demanding payment for file recovery:

file+README-WARNING+.txt

Ransom message:

notes/+README-WARNING+.txt

Note locations:

EveryFolder
screenshot

Ransom message:

notes/7F5E.tmp.png

Note locations:

Desktop

Technical Indicators

Associated Executable Files

The following executable files are associated with Cowa ransomware:

  • qpnip.exe
  • cowa_visual.exe.bak

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About This Analysis

This Cowa ransomware analysis is part of Elastio's comprehensive ransomware detection database. Elastio provides advanced ransomware protection and recovery solutions, helping organizations defend against and recover from ransomware attacks like Cowa.

Last updated: October 30, 2025

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